


The Celebration

by USWNTDeservesBetter



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-10 08:29:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6947764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/USWNTDeservesBetter/pseuds/USWNTDeservesBetter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mal brings her new boyfriend to Julie and Zach's wedding and the Gals have some fun with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Celebration

Mal could feel the nervous energy coming from her boyfriend.

She had never seen him like this, not the first time they went on a date, not the first time he met her family, not even before the PAC-12 championship game last year.

“Babe, why are you so nervous?”

“I’m not nervous”

“Don’t lie to me, Nick. We’ve been dating for a year now. I know you a little better than that.”

He knew she was right. And he was nervous. They were in route to Julie and Zach’s wedding, which was about a 45-minute drive from the UCLA campus, and he hadn’t been able to sit still the entire time they were in the car. This was the first time that he was meeting the women that Mal referred to as “The Gals”, but the rest of the WORLD new at the United States Women’s Soccer Team. The ones that won a World Cup in 2015, and an Olympic Gold medal in 2016. Who wouldn’t be nervous?

“Babe, they are just normal people. They have normal lives, and do normal things.”

“Yeah Mal, but you are one of them. You know them. You were on the Olympic team, assisting Alex’s goal to win the Gold. Not sitting on the couch at home cheering.”

“Babe you will be fine. They have all heard stories, and are super excited to meet you! Julie even put on our invitation that I better bring that cute boy that I keep texting and talking to so they can finally meet you!”

This was true, Julie had texted Mal for her on-campus address a few months back so she could send her the invitation, when they got it in the mail two weeks later, there was a note in it that read “You better bring that boy you were telling me about!”  
Nick was still nervous, when Mal had read the list of girls that said they were coming, it literally read like the roster that had been announced in sold-out stadiums across the world for the past 3 years.

As they pulled up to the fancy hotel next to the beach, and got out of the car Mal immediately heard her name being called.

“MMMMMMAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

It was Pino, of course, who had just arrived as well with her wife Sera. Dressed in a very-pino like suit filled with color, she ran to the 19-year old and swallowed her in a hug.

“Hey kid! How are you doing? And who is this? Is this the legendary Nick? The one that keeps you up late at night when we have training the next morning texting?  
Pino shook his hand, introducing herself and Sera, who had wondered over to wear they were standing before Mal even got the chance to open her mouth.

Sera looked at the group and said, “I hate to be rude, and ruin the reunion between you too, but we have to get our bags out of the car and check in before the wedding starts.”

Pino quickly answered, “Oh, yeah! We will see you guys inside!” and followed her wife back to the car.

All of the gals except Mal were staying in the hotel that night, the hotel was so close to campus, that it would be an easy drive for her and Nick back to UCLA. They weren’t drinking tonight anyway, at least at the wedding, since neither was 21 yet.

As Mal and Nick made their way into the hotel they were greeted by someone calling from the lobby, “Pugh, Pugh, Pugh”. Of Couse as they turned around it was Ashlyn, who had yelled, making finger guns at the young forward and her boyfriend. She was standing next to a pregnant Ali, and a very tired, but happy looking Alex and Serv. They were all laughing at the goalkeeper’s antics towards the young forward.

The young couple walked over to the group laughing, and tugging Nick along by the hand. After introducing Nick to Serv and the women, the group began to strike up a conversation. Mal started:

“Where’s Isaiah? Referring to Alex and Serv’s three month old.

“He’s at my parents in Diamond Bar, Julie said to bring him, but it was easier just to leave him with my mom, dad and sister. We needed a night to ourselves, the plane ride was rough from Orlando. All four of us took turns holding him and he wasn’t having it.”

“I had the Magic Touch” Ash interjected.

“Yeah on hour 4 of the plane ride” Serv Responded.

“It doesn’t matter; he fell asleep didn’t he.” Alex cut both of them off, before this escalated any quicker.

Ali quickly changed the subject from there horrible flight to the large, and obviously nervous and star struck football player standing beside her.

“So you are the infamous Nick.” She said with a smirk on her face.

“Uhh, Yeah” Nick responded, obviously caught off guard by the Pregnant Defenders question.

“Well it’s nice to FINALY meet you, since we heard so much about you last camp from little Mal over here.” Ash interjected, putting her arm around her wife’s side and nonchalantly rubbing her belly.

Luckily for Nick, the pressure was taken off him when Tobin and Christen walked into the hotel Lobby, about 15 Minutes late at this point. While it was nothing new for Tobin, Christen was obviously annoyed by her girlfriend tardiness causing her to be the last one to arrive. Most all of the girls had arrived by now. Standing in huddles waiting it make their way out to the ocean front ceremony together. Lauren was standing with Jrue, A-rod, and Adam not far away from Mal and Nick. Boxxy, Cap, and Abby were standing over in the corner talking, they had all come date and childless for the night, Boxxy and Cap mostly to support Abby who had recently split with her wife. Carli and Brian, Hope and Jeremy, Becky and Zach, Morgan and Eric, HAO and Dave, Syd and Dom, Whit and Ryan, Kelly and Anne were all just kind of intermingling around the room as well. When Tobin and Christen came down from the room, Cap silently nudged the groups and they started making their way down the hallway towards the deck where the ceremony was taking place.

Nick was speechless. It looked like something straight off a red carpet. World cup champions, Olympic gold medalists, the greatest soccer players in the world, just casually walking down the isle of a wedding. Most of the people who were there were turned around looking at them, even the Eagles players who were sitting on Zach’s side were star struck by the women. As they took a seat Mal quickly sat down besides Christian and Tobin, leaving Nick to sit by Carli and Brian.

“So your Nick?” Carli asked while giving him an up and down look.  
Nick quick looked back and Mal for help, but she was caught up in a conversation with Christian and Tobin, and was no help what so ever. “Yeah I am” Nick said shyly, shaking her and Brian’s hands.

“Well from everything I’ve heard, you might just be the most amazing 19-year old boy in the country.” She said with a wide grin, Brian sat beside her and laughed. Nick overheard him whisper “Young Love” in her ear and she looked back at him lovingly, and grabbed his leg. She turned to Nick and added,

“Well you are a very lucky kid, with our little Mal over here. But I think she is very lucky to have you too.”

“Thank you” Nick said, still nervous as ever, and a bit in shock that Carli Lloyd just gave him a complement.  
  
“So I’m guessing you are nervous? About being here with us and all.” Carli caught him.

“There is no point in lying to you, so. Yeah I am.

“Why?”

Nick looked at her dumbfounded. Why? Did she really just ask why?

“Well, ummm, I guess it’s just, uhh, uhh, well you are Carli Lloyd. And that’s Hope Solo.” Motioning towards Hope, who had her back facing them on the other side of Brian. “And oh, that’s Alex Morgan, and do I really need to go on.”

Carli looked at Brian and let out a chuckle.

“I don’t think we have been introduced properly Nick.”

Nick looked at Carli, he was very confused.

“Nick, I am Carli Hollins. I am a wife, a friend,” She motioned for him to come closer and whispered, “A soon-to-be-mom, but no one knows about that yet, so keep your mouth shut about that for a few more hours.” She leaned back sharing a knowing look to Brian and held his hand. “Here, I’m not Soccer Player, Carli Lloyd. Here I’m just a regular person, just like you.”

Nick was speechless. Carli smiled, she knew she got through to the kid, just like when she gave that speech to Mal in her first full January camp.

Just as Carli finished, the ceremony was ready to start. Everyone turned their attention to the Handsome groom and the beautiful, blushing bride. Right as Julie and Zach were ready their vows, Nick grabbed Mal’s hand and brought it to his lips and kissed it. He was no longer nervous about being here and trying to impress the women that Mal referred to as her “Big Sisters”, he was focused on showing his beautiful girlfriend a good time.

As the ceremony ended, and Julie and Zach were introduced for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Ertz, the gals and their dates filed down the aisle and into the reception room. Nick took Mal’s hand and they found their way around. He ended up meeting, and being introduced to all of the gals and their other halves. Nick and Mal were seated at a table with Ali and Ash, Tobin and Cristian and Carli and Brian. And that’s when all the fun began.

 

 

 

*********************************

 

 

 

The gals were known for their ability to play hard on the field. But little known to the world, not only were they pro soccer players, but they were also pro partiers.

Mal had been the DD more times than she could count for her elder teammates. They had all been elite athletes at major Division I Universities so partying was normal for them, especially after huge games and special events. Mal was no stranger to this herself at UCLA, and the gals knew that. However, at a “Public” event like this, where there were people outside the gals and their other halves there, they knew that Mal couldn’t have alcohol. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t.

Ash and Serv were the first two at the Bar getting drinks for themselves and Alex, Ali was 6 months pregnant, so she couldn’t drink but that doesn’t mean that that the rest wouldn’t. It had been a long 36 hours with the four of them trying to calm a screaming new-born baby on the flight, and then having to adjust to the time change. They were ready to relax, and have some fun with their friends.

The rest of the group were not far behind them, drinks were flowing through the gold medalists, and they were beginning to feel themselves. There was one noticeable sober one however, it was still cocktail hour, so the girls weren’t quite seated yet, and were mixed and mingling about. Carli was talking to Nick, Mal, and Ali, the other sober ones, when her co-captain, Becky, called her out on it.

“Carli Lloyd-Hollins! Why do you not have a drink in your hands?”

Carli’s face went blank, and Brian took two steps towards her to be by her side. They had talked about it on the plane ride here, they were going to be honest with the gals if they figured it out, which Carli knew would happen, her teammates aren’t stupid. And now, all their eyes were fixed on the captain, even the bride, who had been talking to Abby, Boxxy and Cap was focused on her.

“Well I can’t lie to you, because you are all gonna figure it out when I’m not in camp in two weeks so. I’m Pregnant.”

Cheers and hugs went up from the crowd. And so much has happened since they won gold in Rio. Carli and Brian got married, and now were having a Baby, same with Ali and Ash. Hope, HAO, Alex, Syd, Lauren and A-Rod all had kids. Whit and Ryan were getting married, same with Becky and Zach, and I mean they are at Julie and Zach’s wedding. Good things were happening to the gals, both on and off the Pitch.

Nick could see the Joy in his girlfriend’s face when Carli shared her news. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. Even though she was almost half the age of most of the gals, she had a special connection with all of them. He had never seen her this happy. They were her idols, but also her friends. He snuck a quick peck on the lips from his girl, and then whispered in her ear,

“Wanna go for a walk?”

Mal nodded, grabbed his hand and snuck out of the room. All the attention, or so they thought, was on Carli and Brian. But two sets of eyes were looking a little to the left, and watched the two 19-year-old sneak away.

Ali looked at Ash, “Let’s go follow them”

“No Alex, they are adults leave them be.”

“And we are soon to be parents, and Mal may as well be one of our ‘adopted’ children. We need to learn how to spy. We can practice on the two of them.”

Ash shot Ali a look, but she was kind of tipsy herself, and Ali looked smoking hot in the black dress that showed off her baby bump and pregnancy glow just perfect. She was hoping that maybe they would lose the kids and sneak off and have some fun of their own before dinner was served. She followed her wife down the hall that Mal and Nick just snuck down.

Nick loved his girlfriend more than anything in the whole world. He told her that on a daily basis. They were young, and he knew that. But when Julie and Zach were standing up there today, he couldn’t help but look at mal and picture her and him standing up there and doing the same thing. His plan was to sneak out onto the deck that the ceremony was just on, and tell her that, and maybe make out a little, before returning to the party.

“Mallory Pugh, I love you more than anything in the whole wide world.” Nick said as they walked out on the deck. The only people out there were the workers trying to clean off the deck, so he didn’t care who heard him.

“I love you too.” Mal responded, adding a quick peck on the lips, she was now seated on the railing with her arms around Nicks neck, face to face.  
Nick quietly looked into Mal’s eyes, the two shared a moment, before Nick Said,

“Ya know, when Julie and Zach were up there today, I couldn’t help but picture us one day up there doing the exact same thing.”

Mal looked at him and smiled, they had never really talked about their futures together. And while Mal thought about it often, she never brought it up to Nick, with the fear that it would scare him away.

“Ya know, I was thinking the exact same thing.” She kissed him harder than before, this time falling into a deep, passionate kiss.  
Ali and Ash were creepily looking out the Window at Mal and Nick.

“Young love is so cute” Ali said.

“Ha-ha, yeah, maybe for you it was. I had to wait until I was 25 for the love of my life to come around to me.”

“Sush, we were still young then.”

“Not 19.”

“Well, we had more experience under our belts, besides, that made it way more fun. We didn’t have calculus homework that we had to worry about when we started to date like these two do.”

“That’s true, all I had to worry about is if you still liked men or not.”

“Well obviously not. Look at us know. Married, Madly in love, and a baby on the way. What more could we ask for.”

“Absolutely nothing.” Ash said, she leaned in and passionately kissed ash.

In the meantime, Nick and Mal had finished there make out session and began to make their way back to the party. They spotted Ali and Ash in the corner making out. Mal figured that the two women probably followed them out there, and got sidetracked. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for that to happen for them. It typically always had the same ending, which Mal was looking at right now.

“Yo Harris-Krieger’s. Get a room.” Mal called out to them before quickly making her way down the hall with her boyfriend. The two women realized where they were at, and what they were doing and got control of themselves, and followed the young couple back to the party.

The rest of the night went off smoothly and without a hitch. The Gals partied the night away celebrating the love that Zach and Julie had for each other. As the reception ended, the girls filed into the hotel bar for the after party, but Mal and Nick said their goodbyes to the gals, and they were prepping to go back to campus and join parties of their own, more of the college speed.

Before the two left however, Mal got pulled aside by a familiar face. Alex was clearly intoxicated, but she had the same face on as when she was 100% sober and giving Mal advice, so Mal geared up to listen to her fellow goal-scorer.

“Really quick before you left, I wanted to give you the Alex seal of approval”

“What do you mean Alex?”

“I mean I see the way you look at Nick, and I see the way he looks at you. It’s the same way me and Serva looked when we were your age. You love him. Our Sweet Baby Mal is growing up, but you know, that if you ever need anything, any advice, anything. I’m only a FaceTime call away. I’m literally up all the time anyway with the Baby anyway, so what’s the difference if I have some company.”

Mal laughed and hugged Alex. That’s all she ever needed to hear.

 


End file.
